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Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School
2017 Sergei Rudnev and a Discussion of Selected Works from the Russian Collection Volume III Morgan David Stuart
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SERGEI RUDNEV AND A DISCUSSION OF SELECTED WORKS FROM
THE RUSSIAN COLLECTION VOLUME III
By MORGAN DAVID STUART
A Treatise submitted to the College of Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Music
2017
Morgan David Stuart defended this treatise on March 28, 2017. The members of the supervisory committee were:
Bruce Holzman Professor Directing Treatise
Jane Piper Clendinning University Representative
Gregory Sauer Committee Member
Melanie L. Punter Committee Member
The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the treatise has been approved in accordance with university requirements.
ii
I dedicate this treatise to my family and friends who have always been there for me
and to my guitar professors who have inspired me.
iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank my family. Without their help, I would have never been able to attend college or even dream of completing a Doctorate in Music at Florida State University. I would like to thank Bruce Holzman and Dr. Stephen Robinson for their patience and invaluable help throughout my years of study with them. Without their help, I would not be the musician I am today. I would also like to thank my committee members for their help and guidance during the writing of this treatise, and for attending my recitals. I want to thank my translator, Yelena
McLane, for her help in translating my interview with Sergei Rudnev, and the poems that are associated with my selection of folk songs from The Russian Collections Volume. III. Lastly, I would like to thank Sergei Rudnev for his time and for the interview he allowed me to conduct.
Rudnev was incredibly helpful throughout the writing process, and, in some cases, would answer my questions within a few hours of me sending them.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Musical Examples ...... vi
List of Figures ...... vii
Abstract ...... viii
Chapter 1: Introduction ...... 1
1.2 Biography of Sergei Rudnev ...... 3
1.3 Meeting with Matanya Ophee ...... 7
1.4 Biography of Matanya Ophee ...... 9
Chapter 2: Urban and Rural Folk Songs ...... 12
2.2 The Wanderer’s Song ...... 13
2.3 The Old Lime-Tree ...... 18
2.4 The Snowball Tree ...... 23
2.5 Dance Song ...... 28
Chapter 3: Conclusion...... 33
Appendix A. Interview with Sergei Rudnev in English ...... 35
Appendix B. Interview with Sergei Rudnev in Russian ...... 40
Bibliography ...... 45
Biographical Sketch ...... 48
v
LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES
Example 1: The Wanderer’s Song (По диким степям Забайкалья) ...... 15
Example 2: The Old Lime-Tree (Липа вековая) ...... 21
Example 3: The Snowball Tree (Ой, да ты, калинушка) ...... 27
Example 4: Dance Song (Ах Вы, Сени, Мои Сени) ...... 32
vi
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: LindenTree ...... 20
Figure 2: Guelder-Rose (Viburnum Opulus) ...... 24
vii
ABSTRACT
Sergei Rudnev’s collection of Russian folk songs arranged for the classical guitar provide an opportunity for musicians to learn about rural and urban Russian folk songs. Russian guitarists are well aware of Rudnev both for his classical guitar compositions and for being a great performer. His pieces are performed often in recitals and competitions in Russia. Rudnev is even considered a “national treasure”, yet his popularity in the west is not comparable. The most well-known piece is The Old-Lime Tree, yet others within The Russian Collection Volume III deserve just as much attention. I have chosen to write this treatise on three of the pieces that I performed for my Doctoral Lecture Recital: The Wanderer’s Song, The Old-Lime Tree, and The
Snowball Tree. I have also included a fourth piece, Dance Song, to represent the faster folk- dance styles. These four pieces represent some of the different genres of urban and rural Russian folk songs found within the collection. This treatise is meant to be used as a helpful resource for those guitarists seeking additional information on the works found in The Russian Collection
Vol. III.
Along with my discussion of the pieces, I will also include a short biography of Sergei
Rudnev, as well as the series editor, Matanya Ophee. I was fortunate enough to come across
Rudnev’s email address by means of a correspondence with the 2012 Guitar Foundation of
America winner, Rovshan Mamedkuliev. I then conducted an interview with Rudnev and have included it in this treatise. The only problem that I encountered with interviewing Rudnev was that he only spoke Russian. I was fortunate enough to find a translator that would work within my budget, and Rudnev was incredibly kind and willing to be interviewed. The entire email correspondence will be included in both Russian and English in this treatise.
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
When I first came across the guitar works of Sergei Rudnev, I was in my final year of my
Master’s degree at Florida State University. For my last recital, I wanted to put together a program that included at least one work that was not often performed. Typically, I learn well- known works written or transcribed for the classical guitar. Learning the most popular and most often performed works for the classical guitar gives me the chance to see how I compare as a musician to other players, and since most students take this path, it also allows me to become a more helpful and informed teacher for those who inevitably want to learn them.
During my search for a new piece, I came across an album by the Russian guitarist
Artyom Dervoed. Dervoed’s recital album is dedicated solely to Russian music. It was here that I first listened to The Old-Lime Tree arranged by Sergei Rudnev. With its improvisatory feeling and beautiful melody, The Old-Lime Tree was completely different than any piece that I had performed at the time, and I knew that I had to learn it. I found the score within The Russian
Collection Volume III. The Russian Collection series was created by the musicologist and historian Matanya Ophee, and the third volume in the series contains works only by Rudnev.
When I received my copy of Rudnev’s folk song arrangements, I realized that, aside from
The Old-Lime Tree, I had never heard any of these pieces performed. I had also never heard of
Rudnev until I listened to Dervoed’s album. Unfortunately, at that time, I only needed one piece to fill up my program, so I learned The Old-Lime Tree and moved on. A few years later, however, I revisited the collection.
1
At this point in my career I was searching for a subject for my Doctoral Lecture Recital and possible treatise subject. I remembered how interesting the Russian folk-song arrangements by Rudnev were, and began sight-reading his works. As an experienced guitarist himself,
Rudnev is able to compose very virtuosic pieces that fit well in the hands. Occasionally, his pieces incorporate the highest register of the guitar and can be quite challenging to perform.
After playing through a few of his pieces, I quickly realized that Rudnev was a great composer and arranger for the classical guitar. It was at this time that I decided to learn and perform a selection of Rudnev’s compositions for my Doctoral Lecture recital.
While preparing for the lecture part of my recital, I began to research the origin of some of the folk-songs in Rudnev’s collection. Not only were Rudnev’s arrangements beautiful and virtuosic, but their history was also incredibly interesting. Rudnev includes both urban and rural
Russian folk songs in his collection, and both categories include a variety of different musical styles. The introduction to The Russian Collection Volume III contains brief but helpful information on the different folk song genres. When I finished reading the introductory material by Rudnev and Ophee, I wanted to know more about each genre.
Because of the time allowed for the performance part of my recital, I only chose four of the pieces in the collection; I have included three songs from that performance in this treatise.
These pieces include: The Wanderer’s Song, The Old-Lime Tree, and The Snowball Tree. I chose these pieces based partly on their interesting melodic content, difficulty, and variety of tempi.
I’ve also added the rural Dance Song to my discussion. These four pieces represent some of the urban and rural Russian folk songs that Rudnev has arranged for the classical guitar, and, I found out later that they are among his favorites.
2
After my lecture recital, to encourage more musicians to perform the works of Sergei
Rudnev, I decided to write my Doctoral Treatise about him and a selection of his Russian folk songs. Having more information on each songs’ poetic text and performance style will allow performers to have the ability to express the pieces in a more appropriate manner. It will also allow performers the ability to inform their audience members about the works they are performing.
1.2 Biography of Sergei Rudnev
Sergei Rudnev was born in Tula, Russia in 1955 and spent his childhood in a small village called Osinovka near the Volga River, and it was here that he first encountered and became interested in Russian folk music.1 When I interviewed Rudnev, he described his childhood as being one that nurtured his creativity. Rudnev explained that his mother and aunt were both amazing singers and that folk music was always discussed and a part of their daily life.
Around the age of ten, Rudnev says that he was already listening to a lot of records, had begun his musical training on the Bayan, a Russian accordion invented in the Tula region, and was even performing at parties on the instrument. It was also around this time that Rudnev said he heard the seven-string guitar for the first time and began lessons with his uncle on the instrument. When speaking about the guitar, Rudnev said “I do not know why, but I was captivated with the sound of the instrument! Its timbre, internal possibilities. Starting at that moment, I gulped everything that was related to guitar repertoire!”2
1 Ophee, Matanya. The Russian Collection Volume III. Columbus, OH: Editions Orphée, INC. 1994. Print. 2 Biographical information on Sergei Rudnev is from: Interview with Sergei Rudnev conducted on 12/8/2016 and 12/31/2016. Translations by Yelena McLane. 3
In 1971, because guitar was not offered as an instrument of focus, he entered the Tula
Music School to study the Bayan, as well as the Balalaika.3 The Balalaika, the most guitar-like instrument that Rudnev could study in school, is a Russian long-necked lute with a triangular body and three strings. The balalaika began to rise in popularity because of a few public performances in Russia in 1888, and at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1889.4
During his time in school, Rudnev was able to begin formal guitar lessons with both
Vladimir Slavin and Pyotr Panin in Moscow.5 By the time Rudnev was eighteen, he told me that he had “already played solo concerts, knew all the classical repertoire, wrote his own music, played in ensembles, and was an artistic director of different bands.”6 From 1975-1977 Rudnev was enrolled at the Tula Military College where he completed his national service, and, upon graduation, he created his own classical guitar program in Tula.7 In Russia, men aged 18-27 are required by law to serve time in the military; required national service is also known as conscription.8 This mandatory conscription is also a theme in some folk songs. When I asked
Rudnev why he chose guitar as his main instrument during this early time in his life, even though he had played the Bayan for so long, he said “Why guitar? I do not know, in the same way that it is impossible to explain the love of a man to a woman.”9
3 Kulikova, Irina. Liner Notes, Reminiscences of Russia, Guitar Music by Russian Composers. Naxos 8.573308, 2014. 4 Martin Kiszko. "Balalaika." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 16 Jan. 2017.
In 1980, at the age of twenty-five, Rudnev met with the Argentinian classical guitarist,
Maria Luisa Anido, in Moscow.10 Anido, the student of Domingo Prat and Miguel Llobet, had a very successful career as a performer and teacher. She gave solo concerts and even performed and recorded pieces with Llobet. Later, Anido would become a professor of guitar and teach in
Buenos Aries, and later in Cuba.11 Rudnev explained that at the time Anido was on tour and had played a concert in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. Rudnev said that after the show
Vladimir Slavsky, the Russian guitarist and teacher, decided to have Anido meet with some of the Russian guitarists at his home. It was at this time that Rudnev was able to meet and talk to
Anido for a long time. Rudnev explained that during this period in his life, he had an extensive repertoire list that included works by J.S Bach, F. Liszt, Rimsky-Korsakov, and even his own compositions. Rudnev said, “I asked her (Anido) about everything I wanted to know. She corrected my sound making. She admired greatly my individuality, and said that they (classical guitarists) cannot play like that.”12 Rudnev also commented that the famous flamenco guitarists,
Paco de Lucia, heard him perform in Kaluga, Russia, and later expressed the same sentiment as
Anido.
In the 1990s, Rudnev began working for the Leo Tolstoy State Memorial Museum-Estate, and was the Cultural Programmes Director there, as well as at Yasnaya Polyana, and the
Children’s State Philharmonic.13 Rudnev told me that during the 1990s he was teaching, playing jazz, practicing karate, and many other things to occupy his time, including composing. He
10 Kulikova, Irina. Liner Notes, Reminiscences of Russia, Guitar Music by Russian Composers. Naxos 8.573308, 2014. 11 Biographic information on Anido is from: John W. Duarte. "Anido, María Luisa." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 5 Jan. 2017.
Spain and Israel. Rudnev said “after performing with Spivakov in Colmar, France, I was named a
‘national treasure’ all over the newspapers.”14
Today, Rudnev is not currently an active teacher, and said that he hasn’t taught in quite some time. He does, however, give lectures on the Russain seven-string guitar, as well as
Russian folk songs and Russian composers of the nineteenth century. Rudnev continues to give performances on the classical guitar and compose music. At the time of the interview, Rudnev said that he has never really been satisfied with his finalized musical compositions because of the difficulty in capturing the essence of a live folk song. Rudnev said that this is precisely the reason why he has produced multiple variations of the same song, including Oy, You, Night, In
Front of Our Gates, Godfather, and others.15
Other than The Russian Collection Volume III, Rudnev has also published other books of music, including a suite based on Alexander Pushkin’s fairytales, a book on his teaching method and philosophy called To Shorten Time and a book on Russian guitar techniques entitled, The
Russian Style of Classical Guitar.16 I was not able to get the two-hundred-page technique book translated, however, I was able to find it online and can say that the book is a progressive study on right and left hand techniques for playing the classical guitar. The book contains very advanced exercises for each hand, as well as many supplemental pieces by Rudnev and other
Russian composers. 17
14 Biographic information on Sergei Rudnev from: Interview with Sergei Rudnev conducted on 12/8/2016 and 12/31/2016. Translations by Yelena McLane. 15 Ibid 16 Ibid 17 It is possible to find the PDF format of The Russian Style of Classical Guitar by searching on Yandex.ru, or by going to http://bookree.org/reader?file=652306&pg=0. Accessed 1/31/2017
6
Other than the Pushkin suite and The Russian Collection Volume III, I was not able to find the rest of his books published in English and I could not find To Shorten Time. When I asked Rudnev if he ever planned to publish his books abroad, he told me that he intentionally published everything in Russia so it would only be distributed there. He said that his music is required learning in all music schools throughout Russia, and that his works are performed often, both in concert and in competitions; because of its popularity and difficulty, The Old Lime-Tree is often performed in American guitar competitions. Rudnev did say that he has been thinking about publishing his books in other countries.18
1.3 Meeting with Matanya Ophee
In 1987 the musicologist and historian Matanya Ophee was working on his Russian
Collection series, and attended the Esztergom Festival in Hungary. While attending the event,
Ophee met with his friend Natalia Ivanova-Kramskaia and received some manuscripts authored by Sergei Rudnev. While looking over Rudnev’s work, Ophee already knew that the music would be suitable for his Russian Collection series.19
The Russian Collection series is currently a ten-volume series that includes four books dedicated to individual Russian composers, two books for the Russian seven-string guitar, and four that include various Russian composers. The four composers who received their own volumes include Andrey Sychra, Sergei Rudnev, Boris Asafiev, and Anatoly Olshansky.20
In 1991, Ophee was finally able to meet and see Rudnev perform at an event honoring the life of the late guitarist and composer Alexander Ivanov-Kramskoi. The four-hour long event
18 Interview with Sergei Rudnev conducted on 12/8/2016 and 12/31/2016. Translations by Yelena McLane. 19 Ophee, Matanya. The Russian Collection Volume III. Columbus, OH: Editions Orphée, INC. 1994. Print. 20 Olshansky’s, however, is a collection of twenty-seven Russian Romances for voice and guitar. http://www.editionsorphee.com/catalog.html#russian. Accessed 1/9/2017 7 was held in Moscow at the Hall of Columns and featured a large choir, a sermon by Metropolit
Pitirim, and guitar performances. As well as honoring the life of Kramskoi, the event was also a tribute to Russian guitar music, however, as Ophee describes, most of the guitarists that performed during the concert played works by non-Russian composers. Ophee said that “after some two and a half hours of endless renditions of the Dyens Tango En Skai, Bach fugues, flamenco pieces, Cardoso Milongas, various dances by Jorge Morel, and a Villa-Lobos prelude thrown in for good measure, I just about gave up hope to hear Russian guitar music.” Finally, when Rudnev was able to perform, he played his own music and solidified the decision in
Ophee’s mind to include him in the Russian Collection series. Ophee commented that “Rudnev is a unique artist, deserving better recognition for his compositional craft, and for his gift as a performer.”21
Once Ophee received Rudnev’s manuscripts, he was able to edit them so that the implied phrasing, counterpoint and polyphony, that of which was taught orally in the Soviet Union, was more recognizable and playable for western guitarist.22 Rudnev’s works were also replete with many folk style techniques that are seen in instruments such as the balalaika and gusli, and these also needed to be edited by Ophee to communicate with a non-Russian audience or performers not familiar to these instruments.23 Ophee even includes instructions in a section of the Russian
Rhapsody piece, the last piece in the Rudnev’s volume, that indicates that the player should play
“near the bridge” and imitate the sound of the gusli.24 A gusli is a kind of psaltery found in
21 Information pertaining to the meeting between Sergei Rudnev and Matanya Ophee comes from: Ophee, Matanya. The Russian Collection Volume III. Columbus, OH: Editions Orphée, INC. 1994. Print. 22 Ibid. 23 Ophee, Matanya. The Russian Collection Volume III. Columbus, OH: Editions Orphée, INC. 1994. Print. 24 Ibid. 8
Russia.25 In the same piece, Ophee indicates that a phrase be played “sul tasto, imitating the balalaika.”26
After a few exchanges of the manuscript, Rudnev and Ophee were able to finalize the scores and The Russian Collection Volume III was published in 1994 by Ophee’s publishing company. Rudnev said that the purpose of The Russian Collection Volume III was to create pieces based on popular Russian folk songs using both the classical training he received and the folk style techniques he learned while living in Russia and visiting the different regions.27
1.4 Biography of Matanya Ophee
The editor and creator of the Russian Collection series, Matanya Ophee, was born in
Jerusalem on June 15th, 1932.28 From an early age, Ophee had a variety of different occupations, including that of book salesman, printing press operator, and even a horse handler on a kibbutz.29
At the age of twenty, Ophee enlisted in the Israeli Air Force and became one of only a few cadets to graduate the course that year.30 Ophee began learning the guitar in 1955 with Luigi Mozzani in Tel Aviv, and later continued with José Pelta and Menache Baquiche.31 In 1960 he studied with Richard Pick in Chicago, Illinois for two years.32 After Pick, Ophee studied music theory in
Switzerland with Gérard Le Coat in 1963, and composition in Israel with Eli Yarden in 1964.33
25 Carl Rahkonen. "Gusli.” Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 3 Mar. 2017.
In 1965 Ophee moved to the United States and eventually became a citizen in 1970.34 He tried to make a living teaching guitar lessons, however, he could not do so.35 Because of a lack of income, Ophee had to take a job as a pilot for the commercial airline, Mohawk Airlines, which, after a few name changes, eventually became US Airways.36 In the 1970s, Ophee joined a small guitar ensemble group in Concord, New Hampshire, and, because of a lack of music, he began searching for more sources of guitar music.37
In 1978 Ophee started his own publishing company entitled Editions Ophée, and he has seen a lot of success from this business.38 Today, Editions Ophée has an online catalog that includes books with guitar concertos, solos, and ensembles of various combinations and instrumentations. The catalogue also contains works for the lute, and a small section of music for other instruments such as the piano and harp.
Since he began his search for more guitar music, Ophee has become one of the leading musicologists and historians for the guitar. His articles have been featured in various guitar magazines, and his research on Russian guitar music and composers have contributed greatly to the documentation of the guitar in Russia.39 Ophee has also contributed to the research of nineteenth century guitarists and composers, notably François de Fossa and Giulio Regondi, and contemporary guitarists and composers, such as Nikita Koshkin and Roberto Sierra.40 Today,
34 http://www.guitarfoundation.org/?HoFOphee. Accessed 1/8/2017 35 Ibid. 36 https://www.editionsorphee.com/ophee.htm. Accessed 1/12/2017 37 Ibid. 38 http://www.guitarfoundation.org/?HoFOphee. Accessed 1/12/17 39 Ibid 40 Ibid 10
Ophee continues to be devoted to the research of guitar music, and was awarded an Industry
Leadership award in 2011 by the Guitar Foundation of America.41
41 Ibid. 11
CHAPTER 2
URBAN AND RURAL FOLK SONGS
The classification of Russian folk songs into rural or urban, at this point in time, can be a bit complicated because of the mixture of the two over time. Ophee states that many of the urban songs developed in cities like St. Petersburg and Moscow, but would eventually make their way to the countryside where the text and melodic content would be modified.42 Around the year
1750 the city of St. Petersburg had a thriving economy and employed people from various regions, including those from the countryside.43 The large number of social elites within the city required constant shipments of goods delivered by trains.44 The people servicing the towns also brought with them their songs that, over time, intermingled with the urban style.45 The villagers could be found singing and dancing their traditional folk songs and dances all throughout the cities.46 Along with the mixture of rural and urban folk songs through shipments of goods, the military was also a contributing factor in exposing the different styles to each other.47 Peasants were made to serve their twenty-five-year conscription with various people throughout the regions, and both urban and rural traditions became mixed.48
The first printed collection of Russian folk songs by the journalist Mikhail Chulkov appeared from 1770-74, and contained some nine hundred song texts without music.49 Chulkov
42 Ophee, Matanya. The Russian Collection Volume III. Columbus, OH: Editions Orphée, INC. 1994. Print. Pg. iii. 43 L'vov, Nikolaj A, Ivan Prač , Malcolm H. Brown, and Margarita Mazo. A Collection of Russian Folk Songs by Nikolai Lvov and Ivan Prach. Ann Arbor u.a: U.M.I. Research Pr, 1987. Print. Pg. 5. 44 Ibid. 45 Ibid. 46 Ibid 47 Ibid. Pg. 6 48 Ibid. 49 Ibid. Pg. 13. 12 did not collect songs by hearing them, but rather used unpublished songbooks available at the time, and most likely had people in various regions help him with the collection.50
In 1776 a gusli player for the Russian Imperial court, Vasily Fedorovich Trutovsky, published the first collection of folk songs with music.51 Trutovsky eventually published some four volumes of folk songs between 1776 and 1795, and included a bass line with them so that the music would be more attractive to the urban populations who enjoyed accompanying the songs.52 This accompaniment was, and is, a defining aspect of urban Russian folk songs; rural songs, on the other hand, would be sung mostly without instrumental accompaniment, and normally accompany a dance such as the khorovod, or round dance, and the faster pliaska dance style.53 Rudnev’s collection contains one khorovod style folk song entitled Circle Dance, and seven pliaski songs. Along with the rural folk songs like Dance Song, Rudnev also includes many urban folks in his collection. Rudnev’s arrangements of The Wanderer’s Song, The
Snowball Tree, and The Old Lime-Tree are all categorized as urban folk songs.
2.2 The Wanderer’s Song
When I began my research on The Wanderer’s Song, as well as the other songs in the book, I found it quite difficult to find sources. The folk songs are not well-known outside of
Russia, and searching online using the Google search engine produced little or no results. I was, however, able to use the Russian search engine, Yandex, which gave me access to a whole host of websites and videos that were not available through other sources.
50 Ibid. Pg. 16 51 Ibid. Pg. 17. 52 Ibid. Pg. 18. 53 Ophee, Matanya. “The Russian Collection Volume III”. Columbus, OH: Editions Orphée, INC. 1994. Print. Pg. iii. 13
In the case of The Wanderer’s Song, I was not able to find an author for the melody itself.
When I contacted Rudnev, he informed me that this was a common occurrence for folk songs to have an unknown origin. In some cases the authorship of both the music and poetry are not known. The Wanderer’s Song, as well as some other folk songs in The Russian Collection
Volume III, do not have an author or composer indicated. The author of the poetry for The
Wanderer’s Song is still not known for certain, however, it has been attributed to Ivan Kuzmich
Kondratyev on a few twentieth century Russian albums.54 The song was apparently heard as early as the 1880’s in Siberian prisons, and the early 20th century albums use the name “Tramp
(From Songs of Convicts)” as the title of the song.55
Ivan Kuzmich Kondratyev, a Russian poet, novelist, and playwright, was born in 1849 into a peasant family, and spent his early life in a military school. Kondratyev entered a medical school in St. Petersburg but did not finish. In the 1860’s he worked in Vilna, Lithuania, and his earliest known poem, “Vilna 22th October 1868”, was written while he was there. Kondratyev later worked in Moscow and eventually died there in 1904.56
The Wanderer’s Song, or, On Wild Steppes of Zabaikalia (Po dikim stepiam Zabaikalia), is an urban Russian folk song that Rudnev has set in variation form. Rudnev’s arrangement begins with a very clear statement of the melody with harmonization. The variations elaborate on the initial theme by adding arpeggios, variations on the rhythm, and movement through various keys. The Wanderer’s Song is a great example of how Rudnev takes a simple melody, adds harmonization, and elaborates on the theme. Rudnev is able to take the player through the
54 http://a-pesni.org/popular20/podikim.php. Accessed 1/28/17 55 Ibid. 56 Biographical information on Ivan Kuzmich Kondratyev comes from: http://www.russianresources.lt/archive/Kondr/Kondr_0.html. Accessed 1/28/17
14 highest register of the guitar, and quickly move to the lowest. One of the challenges in playing
The Wanderer’s Song is in maintaining that simple melody while moving all over the fingerboard. There are some fingerings throughout the piece which help lessen the awkwardness of the difficult movements. The melody below is the vocal line in the key of C major taken from a website collection of these songs; Rudnev uses the key of G major for his arrangement.57
Example 1: The Wanderer’s Song (Po dikim stepiam Zabaikalia) 58
When I interviewed Rudnev, he told me that he really likes The Wanderer’s Song and could not come up with a way to arrange it for the guitar. After some time, he was able to capture the folk character of the song and solidify his arrangement.59
The theme of The Wanderer’s Song is that of a man that has escaped from a Siberian prison in the middle of the night.60 This tramp, or wanderer, has been separated from his family for a long time and must travel across mountainous terrain and thick, swampy forests called taiga in the poem.61 He eventually finds a fishing boat that he can use to cross Lake Baikal.62 After he
57 http://a-pesni.org/popular20/podikim.php. Accessed 1/29/17 58 http://a-pesni.org/popular20/podikim.php. Accessed 1/29/17 59 Interview with Sergei Rudnev conducted on 12/8/2016 and 12/31/2016. Translations by Yelena McLane. 60 http://a-pesni.org/popular20/podikim.php. Accessed 2/9/17 61 Ibid. 62 Ibid. 15 crosses the lake, he arrives home to find his mother.63 The man asks his mother where his father and brother are, and she informs him that his father passed away a long time ago and has been buried, that his brother is in Siberia in shackles, and that his wife is at home and misses him.64
The mother and son then go into the family home where the wife is waiting for them and the children are crying.65
For performers, learning the poem’s text should influence the way they perform the piece. One must be careful when using any automatic translation done over the internet, though.
Many of the poems were easy to understand, but, some of the details were lost in these automatic translations. It was only through the help of my translator that the full text and context of the poems became clear. There are several variations of the poem for The Wanderer’s Song. Some exclude the portion about the wife, and some include additional stanzas that describe the man’s prison outfit, his living conditions, as well as his longing to return home.66 This variation in the lyrics is a common occurrence in folk songs. I have included both the Russian and English translation of the poem below. I have tried to maintain the original stanza structure of each poem presented in this treatise, however, it may prove difficult to attempt to sing the songs in English because of the literal translations.
Along with learning the background of the song, it would also be beneficial for performers to listen to the vocal performances. Searching Yandex.ru with the transliteration of the name The Wanderer’s Song (Po dikim stepiam Zabaikalia) yields a wealth of content. Many of the videos feature an accordion accompanying the vocalist.67
63 http://a-pesni.org/popular20/podikim.php. Accessed 2/9/17 64 Ibid. 65 Ibid. 66 Ibid. Accessed 1/28/17 67 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sddh5QAXJbQ. Accessed 2/9/2017 16
The Wanderer’s Song
По диким степям Забайкалья, Among wild steppes of Zabaikalia, Где золото роют в горах, Where gold is mined in mountains, Бродяга, судьбу проклиная, The wanderer, raving against his fate, Тащился с сумой на плечах. Trudged with a bag on his shoulders.
Идет он густою тайгою, There is a dense taiga woods Где пташки одни лишь поют, Where only birds sing. Котел его сбоку тревожит, His copper pot beats him on his side. Сухие коты ноги бьют. And dry sticks beat on his feet.
На нем рубашонка худая He’s wearing a thin, worn-out shirt. Со множеством разных заплат, With a set of different patches, Шапчонка на нем арестанта He’s wearing a prisoner’s hat И серый тюремный халат. And gray prisoner’s robe. Бежал из тюрьмы темной ночью, He ran from prison at night, В тюрьме он за правду страдал – In prison he suffered for the truth – Идти дальше нет больше мочи, Moving on no longer wet. Пред ним расстилался Байкал. Before him stretched Baikal.
Бродяга к Байкалу подходит, The wanderer approaches the Baikal lake, Рыбацкую лодку берет Takes the fishing boat И грустную песню заводит - And starts singing a sad song - Про родину что-то поет: About his motherland, he sings.
«Оставил жену молодую, "I Left my young wife, Оставил я малых детей, I left my small children, Теперь я иду наудачу, Now I am wandering sick of my fortune, Бог знает, увижусь ли с ней!» God knows whether I will meet her again!"
17
Бродяга Байкал переехал, The wanderer crossed the Baikal lake, Навстречу родимая мать. And his mother meets him there. «Ах, здравствуй, ах, здравствуй, мамаша, "Oh, hello, hello my mother, Здоров ли отец, хочу знать?» How is my father, I wonder?"
- «Отец твой давно уж в могиле, "Your father has been in the grave for a long time, Сырою землею зарыт, Under wet ground, А брат твой давно уж в Сибири, And your brother has been in Siberia a while. Давно кандалами гремит. Wearing his shackles.
Пойдем же, пойдем, мой сыночек, Let's go, we will go, my son, Пойдем же в курень наш родной, Let's go into our beloved house, Жена там по мужу скучает, Your wife misses you, И плачут детишки гурьбой».68 And your kids are crying.”
2.3 The Old Lime-Tree
One of the other urban folk songs found within The Russian Collection Volume III is The
Old Lime-Tree. The Old Lime-Tree belongs to the long and drawn-out genre called protiazhnaia.69 In protiazhnaya songs, or lyrical folk songs, the singers lyricism of the poetic text is the driving force behind the phrasing of the music.70 Protiazhnaya songs are best characterized by their slow tempos and long melismatic passages called unutrislogovye raspevy, or raspevy for short.71 These raspevy passages can develop the melodic content and are one of the most important aspects of the protizahnaia genre.72 Because of the uneven, slow tempos,
68 http://a-pesni.org/popular20/podikim.php. Accessed 1/29/17 69 http://www.guitarandluteissues.com/Lipa/lipa.htm. Accessed 1/29/17 70 L'vov, Nikolaj A, Ivan Prač , Malcolm H. Brown, and Margarita Mazo. A Collection of Russian Folk Songs by Nikolai Lvov and Ivan Prach. Ann Arbor u.a: U.M.I. Research Pr, 1987. Print. Pg. 39. 71 Ibid. 72 Ibid. Pg. 39 18 protiazhnaya songs would not have been used to accompany any type of dance.73 The Old Lime-
Tree, as well as other protiazhnaya songs, would have been accompanied by a guitar, piano, or other instruments like the balalaika.74 The recording by the famous Russian singer Livia
Ruslanova is one of the best vocal recordings of The Old Lime-Tree, and is accompanied by a balalaika.75
The first guitar recording of The Old Lime-Tree was done by Vladimir Mikulka before
Rudnev had published his arrangement of the song.76 Mikulka was born in Prague in 1950 and has achieved a lot of fame for his talent as a classical guitarist.77 Mikulka has been teaching at the Conservatoire de la Ville de Paris since 1982.78 When I spoke to Rudnev he said that he first arranged the song back in 1978, and that the composer of the music and author of the lyrics are unknown.
The theme of The Old Lime-Tree is that of a man who is mourning the loss of his wife and is remembering their time together. Rudnev gave me more details on the theme by stating that the man actually left his wife. This separation led his wife to become deeply depressed and commit suicide. The man then returns to the linden tree.79 The linden tree, or Tilia species, are large deciduous trees that grow in temperate climates. The reference to limes comes from the tree’s nectar-producing flowers.80
73 Ibid. Pg. 38 74 Ophee, Matanya. The Russian Collection Volume III. Columbus, OH: Editions Orphée, INC. 1994. Print. Preface. Pg. iii. 75 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqCYWDK0-ks. Web. Accessed 2/17/2017 76 http://www.guitarandluteissues.com/Lipa/lipa.htm. Accessed 1/29/17 77 John W. Duarte. "Mikulka, Vladimír." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 9 Feb. 2017.
Figure 1: Linden Tree.81
The poem begins with the hundred-year-old linden tree leaning over the river and rustling in the wind. The man hears a bell sound in the distance made by the guard that patrols the village. He also hears a “brave” song. These sounds trigger memories of a time when he was married and happy. His beloved wife passed away a long time ago and her grave now has a nightingale singing above it. The poem continues with the man wishing he could be with his wife and stating that he will see her soon. The linden tree, or lime tree, in the beginning of the poem is significant in that these types of trees live for a long time and can be thought of as a symbol of the past.82 The vocal line below, taken from an online collection of folk songs, is in the key of A minor.83 Rudnev uses the key of B minor for his arrangement.
81 http://treepicturesonline.com/linden_tree_pictures.html. Web. Accessed 3/3/2017. 82 Interview with Sergei Rudnev conducted on 12/8/2016 and 12/31/2016. Translations by Yelena McLane. 83 All musical examples come from: http://a-pesni.org/. Web. Accessed 2/11/2017. 20
Example 2: The Old Lime-Tree (Lipa vekovaia)84
The Old Lime-Tree
Липа вековая Hundred year-old lime tree Над рекой шумит, Stands over the river, rustling in the wind Песня удалая There’s a brave song, Вдалеке звенит. Heard from far away.
Луг покрыт туманом, Meadow covered with mist, Словно пеленой, as if a veil, Слышен за курганом A bell sound is heard over the hill Звук сторожевой. From the guard.
Этот звук унылый This sad noise С давних прошлых дней Symbolizes days that are long gone Пробудил, что было It made me remember a few things, В памяти моей. That were buried in my memory.
84 http://a-pesni.org/popular20/lipa.php. Web. Accessed 2/11/2017 21
Пробудил о милой And here everything has past Прежние мечты, A former dream, Вспомнил с новой силой, Remembered with renewed vigor, Как любила ты... How do you love...
Годы миновали, Years passed, И уж под венцом And certainly under the crown of Молодца сковали A young man shackled by Золотым кольцом. Gold ring.
Только не с тобою, But I am not married to you Милая моя, My dear, Спишь ты под землею, You sleep under the earth, Спишь, забыв меня. You sleep because of me.
Над твоей могилой Over your grave Соловей поет, Nightingale sings Скоро и твой милый Soon your beloved Крепким сном заснет. Will fall asleep with the same sleep.
Над твоей могилой Over your grave Цветы расцветут, Flowers bloom, Твоего милого Your beloved К тебе принесут. Will be carried to you soon.
Липа, расколися My lime-tree split На четыре пня, In to four stumps Милая, проснися Honey, wake up И возьми меня! And take me to you!
22
2.4 The Snowball Tree
The Snowball Tree or, Oi, da ty kalinushka, is one of my favorite folk songs in The
Russian Collection series. The translation of the title is Oh, Yes You My Guelder-Rose. In my interview with Rudnev, he lists this song as an urban lyric song that would be sung by a woman.
Ophee states that the piece is a village lyric song that relies heavily on the singer’s interpretation of the song.85 Like The Old Lime-Tree, The Snowball Tree would seem to fall under the Russian protiazhnye genre of folk songs. The stated 7/4-time signature is purely there for phrasing, and the lyrics are what drive the piece forward.86 In many cases, the bar lines are there to represent the structure of the stanzas.87
The phrasing of the piece is what I found to be the most difficult aspect of performing
The Snowball Tree. There are some editorial marks that help the performer, but it was only after listening to the vocal performances that the structure of song became more clear.88 The tempo for
The Snowball Tree is very flexible and open to some interpretation. There are many folk instrumental recordings of the piece and even some on the guitar.89 The asymmetrical phrasing of the melodic material can be a little difficult to replicate if one knows nothing about this style of Russian folk song, and the poem that is associated with it.
85 Ophee, Matanya. The Russian Collection Volume III. Columbus, OH: Editions Orphée, INC. 1994. Print. 86 Ibid. 87 L'vov, Nikolaj A, Ivan Prač , Malcolm H. Brown, and Margarita Mazo. A Collection of Russian Folk Songs by Nikolai Lvov and Ivan Prach. Ann Arbor u.a: U.M.I. Research Pr, 1987. Print. Pg. 64. 88 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvBx0KoWGGU. Web. Accessed 2/16/2017 89 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQKG6FRlWKM. Web. Accessed 2/16/2017 23
Figure 2: Guelder Rose (Viburnum Opulus).90
The theme of The Snowball Tree poem is that of a man that has been sent away from his family and wife. The man must serve his mandatory twenty-five-year conscription in the military and will most likely never see his family and wife again. The beginning of The Snowball Tree starts off with a few stanzas about The Snowball Tree. The term snowball tree refers to the guelder-rose tree, or Viburnum Opulus.91 The guelder-rose tree, or kalyna, is the national tree of the Ukraine, and produces bitter berries that can be eaten.92 The poem continues with a description of a ship sailing in a terrible storm likely in the large Volga River. This ship holds two regiments of young soldiers, officers, and a major. Because the storm is so bad, the soldiers, as well as the officers, and major, are in fear for their lives and are praying to God. One soldier
90 http://treesplanet.blogspot.com/2015/08/viburnum-opulus-guelder-rose.html#.WL2D_DvyuUk. Web. Accessed 3/6/2017. 91 Folkard, Richard. Plant Lore, Legends, and Lyrics: Embracing the Myths, Traditions, Superstitions, and Folk- Lore of the Plant Kingdom. London: S. Low, Marston, Searle, and Rivington, 1884. Print. Pg.358 92 http://proudofukraine.com/floral-symbols-of-ukraine-flowers-and-trees/. Web. Accessed 2/16/2017 24 begins to beg the major to let him go home. The young soldier is not allowed to leave and must serve his twenty-five-year conscription.
When I spoke to Rudnev, he described the poem as a story about a man that must serve his mandatory conscription and is separated from his beloved. The significance of the guelder- rose, Rudnev explained, is that because the berries of the tree are bitter, this becomes a symbol for the bitter fate of the young soldier.93 The guelder-rose has also been a symbol of life, blood, family, fire, and many more.94
In the example presented below, the folk song begins with a solo voice and then adds an additional voice. This type of introductory solo melodic line is referred to as zapev in Russia, and introduces the melodic theme before adding a chorus.95 Rudnev also begins his arrangement of
The Snowball Tree with this same zapev structure. The folk song example below the poem is in the key of D minor, whereas Rudnev’s is in the key of E minor. Protiazhnye folk songs are almost always in a minor key.96
The Snowball Tree
Ой, да ты, калинушка, Oh, you guilder-rose, Ты, малинушка! You raspberry! Ой, да ты не стой, не стой Oh, you don’t grow, you don’t grow На горе крутой. On the steep hill.
93 Interview with Sergei Rudnev. Email interview conducted on 2/14/2017. 94 http://proudofukraine.com/floral-symbols-of-ukraine-flowers-and-trees/. Web. Accessed 2/16/2017 95 L'vov, Nikolaj A, Ivan Prač , Malcolm H. Brown, and Margarita Mazo. A Collection of Russian Folk Songs by Nikolai Lvov and Ivan Prach. Ann Arbor u.a: U.M.I. Research Pr, 1987. Print. Pg. 74. 96 Ibid. Pg. 80. 25
Ой, да ты не стой, не стой Oh, you don’t grow, you don’t grow На горе крутой. On the steep hill. Ой, да не спускай листа Oh, don’t you drop your leaves Во синё море. Into the blue sea.
Ой, да не спускай листа Oh, don’t you drop your leaves Во синё море. Into the blue sea. Ой, да во синём-то море Oh, in that blue, blue sea Корабель плывет. A ship is sailing.
Ой, да во синём море Oh, in that blue, blue sea Корабель плывет. The ship is sailing. Ой, да корабель плывет, The ship is sailing Аж вода ревет. And the water is roaring.
Ой, да корабель плывет, Oh, the ship is sailing, Аж вода ревет. And the water is roaring. Ой, да как на том корабле Oh, on this ship Два полка солдат. There are two regiments of soldiers.
Ой, да как на том корабле Oh, on this ship Два полка солдат. There are two regiments of soldiers. Ой, да два полка солдат, Oh, there are two regiments of soldiers, Молодых ребят. They are young men.
Ой, да два полка солдат, Oh, there are two regiments of soldiers, Молодых ребят, Young men, Офицер да майор Officers and a Major Богу молятся, They are praying to God.
26
Офицер да майор The officers and the Major Богу молятся, Are praying to God, Рядовой-то солдат The private soldier Домой просится, Is asking to go home.
Рядовой-то солдат The private soldier Домой просится: Is asking to go home: «Офицер-майор, “Officer, Major, Отпусти меня домой, Let me go home,
Офицер-майор, Officer, Major Отпусти меня домой, Let me go home К отцу-матери родной, To my beloved father, beloved mother, К жене милой, дорогой». And to my beloved wife.”
Example: 3 The Snowball Tree (Oi, da ty kalinushka)97
97 http://a-pesni.org/bezzem/ojdatykalin.php. Web. Accessed 2/11/2017 27
2.5 Dance Song
The first piece in The Russian Collection Volume III is entitled Dance Song (Akh vy, seni moi, seni). The literal translation of the title is Oh, My Hallway, My Hallway, with the word
“seni” meaning hallway. A seni is an entranceway or hallway found in traditional Russian houses that serves as a place to leave shoes and outside items that are not clean enough for other areas of the home.98 This seni, or hallway, is also less insulated than the rest of the home and can serve as a buffer between the cold weather outside and the rest of the living quarters.99 These Russian homes, or izba in Russian, are usually one-story log cabins.100
The first publication of this song was in 1790 by Nikolai Lvov and Ivan Prach and was set to music by Prach.101 Ivan Prach, or Johann Gottfried Pratsch, was a Czech composer and folk song collector born in 1750.102 Prach’s most important contribution was A Collection of
Russian Folk Songs which had several revised editions.103 Nikolai Aleksandrovich Lvov was a
Russian nobleman born in 1751.104 Lvov was a Renaissance man who was respected for his talents as a poet, musician, artist, as well as a practicing architect and geologist.105 Lvov and
Prach’s involvement in their Russian collection is not entirely clear, but it has been said that
Lvov was mostly responsible for the collection, minus the accompaniments added to the
98 http://russiapedia.rt.com/of-russian-origin/seni/. Accessed 2/13/2017 99 Ibid. 100 http://doit.house/russian-log-house.shtml. Accessed 2/13/2017 101 L'vov, Nikolaj A, Ivan Prač , Malcolm H. Brown, and Margarita Mazo. A Collection of Russian Folk Songs by Nikolai Lvov and Ivan Prach. Ann Arbor u.a: U.M.I. Research Pr, 1987. Print. Pg. 73 102 Geoffrey Norris. "Pratsch, Johann Gottfried." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. Accessed 2/15/2017.
Prach’s pianoforte settings of Russian folk songs were designed to be attractive to all players of varying musical ability and instruments.108 A vocalist was not always necessary since
Prach doubles the melodic line in the right hand, which allows for a variety of instruments to perform the simple settings.109 Both Rudnev and the Lvov-Prach collection list the song as a pliaska, or rather a song that would accompany a pliaska dance. Ophee list this song as a traditional rural folk song.
The theme of Dance Song (Akh, vy, seni moi, seni) is that of a girl who is in love with a beer brewer named Vanya. The girls’ father is very strict and does not let her go out and walk with her male friends. This girl states that even though her father is strict, she will disobey him and go be with Vanya. The song is a joyous one with a fast tempo, which is starkly different from some of the urban folk songs. There is a lot of symbolism in Dance Song, and when I spoke with Rudnev he explained that in the beginning of the poem, this decorated hallway, or seni, represents a joyful time for the young girl. When she walks out of her home, she begins to do what has been called a magic sleeve dance.110 Long sleeves worn by males and females were used for both practical and ritual purposes. The long sleeves could shield against the cold in winter, as well as mosquitos in the summer.111 This practicality, however, was greatly surpassed by the importance of the sleeves as a symbol of magic.112 Bare hands in Russian rituals were
106 Ibid. Pg. 29 107 Ibid. Pg. 23 108 Ibid. Pg. 73 109 Ibid. Pg.73 110 Barber, E J. W. The Dancing Goddesses: Folklore, Archaeology, and the Origins of European Dance.,2014. Internet resource. Pg. 196. 111 Ibid. Pg. 196. 112 Ibid. Pg. 196. 29 seen as a deterrent of magic, and once they became covered by the sleeves, magical rituals could take place.113 Also in Dance Song, the location of the girl by the gate could signify fertility.114
Dance Song has been very popular throughout the years and was included in Stravinsky’s ballet, Petrushka, as well as the opera Dubrovskii by Eduard Napravnik, and the opera Fevei by
Vasilii Pashkevich.115 The song was even included in the 1968 film War and Peace.116 Rudnev includes Dance Song as the first piece in his collection. The vocal line below the poem is in the key E major, as opposed to Rudnev’s D major arrangement.
Dance Song
Ах вы, сени мои, сени, Oh, you my hallway, my hallway Сени новые мои, My new hallway Сени новые, кленовые, You are new and made of maple Решетчатые! And have a beautiful lattice working!
Как и мне по вам, по сеничкам, I wonder if I will be able to walk around Не хаживати, This hallway Мне мила друга за рученьку I wonder if I will be able to hold my friend Не важивати! By their hand in the hallway!
Выходила молода Young lady walked out of her За новые ворота, New lattice oak gate. Выпускала сокола She releases a hawk Из правого рукава. From her right sleeve.
113 Ibid. Pg. 196. 114 Ibid. Pg. 204. 115 L'vov, Nikolaj A, Ivan Prač , Malcolm H. Brown, and Margarita Mazo. A Collection of Russian Folk Songs by Nikolai Lvov and Ivan Prach. Ann Arbor u.a: U.M.I. Research Pr, 1987. Print. Pg.435 116 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hbhKiR-t4M. Accessed 2/20/17. 30
На полетике соколику You fly my hawk Наказывала: Far and high: «Ты лети, лети, соколик, “Fly far and high Высоко и далеко, Into my homeland,
И высоко и далеко, Fly far and high, На родиму сторону; Into my homeland; На родимой на сторонке My stern father lives in my homeland Грозен батюшка живет. He is very, very strict.
Он грозен, сударь, грозен, He is never sympathetic to me. Он не милостивой: He is not merciful: Не пускает молоду He does not let me Поздно вечером одну. Walk with my male friends.
Я не слушала отца, But I’m not going to listen to my father, Спотешала молодца. I will entertain my beloved young men. Я за то его спотешу, Because he is the only son Что один сын у отца. Of his father.
Что один сын у отца, This young man Уродился в молодца, — Who is the only son of his father- Зовут Ванюшкою – His name is Vanya- Пивоварушкою». Pivovarushkoyu.
Пивовар пива варил, He is a beer brewer, Зелено вино курил, He made some beer Зелено вино курил, He made some green wine, Красных девушек манил: And invited beautiful ladies to come drink.
31
«Вы пожалуйте, девицы, “Oh, you’re welcome my ladies, my girls На поварню на мою! Come to my brewery. На моей ли на поварне I have a lot of beer Пиво пьяно на ходу. Beer ready to drink.
На моей ли на поварне In my brewery I have beer ready to drink Пиво пьяно на ходу, Beer ready to drink, Пиво пьяно на ходу Beer ready to drink, И на сладком на меду». And it is made of sweet honey.”
А вы, сени мои, сени, Oh, you my hallway, my hallway Сени новые мои, You are my new hallway, Сени новые, кленовые, You are new and made of maple Решетчатые! And have a beautiful lattice working.
Example 4: Dance Song (Akh, vy, seni moi, seni)117
117 http://a-pesni.org/rus/ahvyseni.htm. Accessed 2/11/2017 32
CHAPTER 3
CONCLUSION
When I began playing The Old Lime-Tree a few years ago, I had no idea of the quantity of information available regarding the folk songs in The Russian Collection Volume III. I performed my Doctoral Lecture recital without knowing the context of the songs. Now that the poems for The Old Lime-Tree, The Wanderer’s Song, Dance Song, and The Snowball Tree have all been translated, I find myself revisiting the songs with a different frame of mind. The somber, love lost forever theme of The Snowball Tree and The Old Lime-Tree, provides a better perspective on why these songs are performed so slowly. The lively and joyous pliaska song,
Dance Song, and the lyric song, The Wanderer’s Song, stand in stark contrast to the slow and drawn out protiazhnye style. Along with learning the information about each piece, it was also incredibly helpful to listen to the vocal recordings and watch the traditional dances.
When I began learning to play each of the four folk songs, I found that Rudnev had arranged them all in a very similar manner. Rudnev makes use of the entire fingerboard of the guitar in his arrangements. He composes in a way that seems to reach the full potential of both the guitar and the folk songs. Part of the difficulty in playing Rudnev’s arrangements is in maintaining and bringing out the melody while moving all over the fingerboard.
The purpose in writing this treatise was, in part, to feed my own curiosity of what I thought were obscure Russian folk songs. And while they are obscure to western musicians, these folk songs are well known throughout Russia and quite discoverable if you are looking in the right place. The biggest hurdle in writing this paper was the fact that none of these poems
33 were published in English, nor did Rudnev speak English. This added another layer of complexity to the research process.
While I did not research all of Rudnev’s folk song arrangements in The Russian
Colleciton Volume III, I did research some of the more popular works. Hopefully those that intend to learn and perform Rudnev’s arrangements will find this paper useful. Because I have shown my path of research, I believe that this treatise will also serve those that intend to learn the other arrangements.
34
APPENDIX A
INTERVIEW WITH SERGEI RUDNEV IN ENGLISH
Sergei Rudnev Questions/Answers Translation by Yelena McLane. Note: […] – clarification by the translator. (Questions in italic) Hello, Stuart!
I am answering your questions:
1. How did you go about transcribing the folk songs in the different rural and urban areas?
Do you have original scores and/or did you record the performances and transcribe them
this way?
• For me folk creativity is a part of my life. My mother and aunt had amazing voices, and
in our family, it was always sung and talked about the amazing charm of this heritage.
How beautifully and precisely the character of one or another song was captured, know
the performers, we had a lot of records. Perhaps, this is why I have developed a deep
respect for Russian folk songs, which reflected the very essence of life. At that time I had
already started my bayan training and had already tried playing at different parties. I took
my material from different scores or just from hearing records of different performers.
That is why from probably the age of 10 have been playing music perhaps of the best
orchestras in the country. Approximately at that time, I heard seven-string guitar for the
first time. My uncle played it. He started teaching me something. I do not know why, but
I was captivated with the sound of the instrument! Its timbre, internal possibilities.
Starting at that moment I “gulped” everything that was related to guitar repertoire! I 35
learned from recordings, from different musicians from Moscow (Pyotr Panin, Vladimir
Slavskiy, and others). By the age of 18 I already played solo concerts, knew all classical
repertoire, wrote my own music, and played in ensembles (was an artistic director of
different bands).
2. Did you take lessons with Maria Luisa Anido or just observe her playing style?
• I met Anido in Moscow. She came for a tour, played in the Great Hall of the Moscow
conservatory. I was 25 years old then, and I had a strong concert program (F. Liszt’s
Saber Dance, Prelude in E minor and Second Hungarian rhapsody, Khachaturian’s ♭
Fugue in D♯ minor by J.S Bach, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of The Bumblebee, The Old-
Lime Tree, and many other things). V. Slavskiy organized a reception (in his house) and
decided to show “Russian miracle,” i.e. me. [Meaning:] Here how we can play! [in
Russia] Anido and I talked for a long time. I asked her about everything I wanted to
know. She corrected my sound making. She admired greatly my individuality and said
that they cannot play like that (by the way, Paco de Lucia told me that word-for-word
when I played for him in Kaluga [town in Russia].). I have a photo from that party, there
Anido and I are sitting at the table.
3. At what age did you begin to play the guitar?
• I have already mentioned that I started playing when I was 10.
4. What was it about the guitar, as opposed to the other instruments you were trained on,
that led you to specifically begin a guitar program in Tula?
• Why guitar? I do not know. In the same way it is impossible to explain the love of a man
to a woman.
5. Do you still teach at the Municipal College in Tula?
36
• I have not taught in a long time (I have given to teaching 15 years). In the nineties
[1990s] had business, played jazz, did karate, and everything else I could come up with. I
worked a lot on creating my own repertoire. At that time there were many invitations, so I
worked in Spain, Israel, with many Russian pop “stars.” After performing with Spivakov
in Colmar, France, I was named a “National treasure” all over newspapers.
6. Do you know the original composer of The Wanderer’s Song, or is the assumption that it
was composed by convicts in Siberia the accepted origin?
• As far as The Wanderer’s Song is concerned, there are many songs that became folk
songs, despite the fact that sometimes authors of lyrics were identified, but more rarely
authors of music. It is not known for sure whose music it is. It is a purely urban tradition,
with well-developed music and harmony intertwined. I like this song a lot. And I could
not come up with a solution for a guitar arrangement for it for a long time. Then I finally
found it. I must say that this is the way I work. It is precisely a solution! Character comes
first. For this very reason, I do not write occasional variations of folk songs – it is simply
impossible for me to have those. This is a different genre, and I have very little interest in
it. Everything should support the internal content of a piece. Few people can do it, and it
takes much work and experience to do this. This is why people love my work.
7. Who is the original composer of The Old-Lime Tree?
• The Old-time Tree is the same case. The author is not known. There were attempts to
attribute authorship, but nothing was confirmed. Everyone (including Lyudmila
Ruslanova) announces the song as a folk song. This is a typical urban lyrical song.
Panitsky does not have anything to do with it. I arranged it in 1978. There were attempts
37
to buy my original score. Amusing. Although in musical circles it is considered to be a
masterpiece of the 20th century guitar music!
8. Who is the original composer of Dance Song and Circle Dance in The Russian Collection
Volume III?
• Circle Dance is authored music, stylization.
9. Is Ivan Panitsky the original composer of The Snowball Tree?
• The Snowball Tree is a traditional urban lyrical song. Purely folk about mandatory
conscription of young man for military service for 25 years. It is a women’s song about
love that is lost forever and of bitter destiny.
10. Do you ever plan to publish an English translation of your book The Russian Style of
Classical Guitar?
• As far as publishing is concerned, I had offers (for example, from Germany). But I
intentionally published everything in Russia so that my works would be distributed here.
Everybody knows my work, my pieces included into curriculum of all [music]
institutions all over the country, my music is performed at competitions and in concerts. I
have started thinking that it may be time to publish abroad. Besides “Russian Style,” a
two-volume publication containing my best arrangements of songs and dances is very
popular. This is an expensive gift option. Songs and dances are grouped by traditions,
there is text, and it has artist’s illustrations. There also came out an autobiographical book
“To Shorten Time.” It is about my methods of teaching, how to avoid professional
injuries, my main philosophy. Both books were published by “Alpina Publisher” Moscow
www.alpina.ru.There is a Suite based on Alexander Pushkin fairytales. It was published a
long time ago (2002) in Italy VP MUSIK MEDIA di Vincento Pocci.
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https://www.amazon.com/Suite-Personages-Alexander-Pushkins-Fairy-
ebook/dp/B00COC7S16/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1481694961&sr=1-
1&refinements=p_27%3ASergey+Rudnev
1. What kind of musical score did you have to work with for your transcriptions and
arrangements? Were they vocal scores, or piano?
2. Where can I find these scores so I can compare them to your works? I would like to
compare the original scores to your arrangements. This will allow me to write a lot more
about this subject.
• I am one of those people who lived in an environment where all those songs were sung.
They are represented "live" just from hearing. Of course, I verified some of them with
printed notes and lyrics, but those were scores for just single voice, without harmonies.
There were many publications like this in the Soviet Union. But I was not satisfied with
any of them. Live songs have always had small discrepancies, which depended on the
regions where the performers lived, where they moved, their life styles. That is why there
is no such thing as a "correct" melody. My approach is about live pictures, exact
character where possible, nothing occasional. These principles distinguished me among
others. I am never completely satisfied with what I do, that is why there are different
versions of some compositions. For example, "Oy, you, night," "In front of our gates,"
"Godfather" and others. For example, at the moment I am writing "I was strolling around
the garden" in folk style. I was inspired after listening to a lot of Country music. But this
is rather an exception. I just enjoy the style that I studied specifically.
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APPENDIX B
INTERVIEW WITH SERGEI RUDNEV IN RUSSIAN
Уважаемый Сергей Иванович!
1. Какой у вас подход к транскрипции деревенских и городских народных песен? У вас
уже есть ноты этих песен, или вы записываете выступления а потом их
транскрибируете?
• Для меня народное творчество-это часть жизни. Моя мама и тетя имели
изумительные голоса,всегда у нас в семье пели и говорили о необыкновенной
прелести этого наследия! Как красиво и точно передан характер и содержание той
или иной песни,знали исполнителей, были многочисленные пластинки. Наверное
поэтому у меня сформировалось уважительное отношение к русской песне, которая
отражала саму суть жизни. Тогда я учился в музыкальной школе на баяне и уже
тогда пробовал подыгрывать на различных гулянках. Материал брал из разных нот
или снимал на слух с пластинок,различных исполнителей. Именно поэтому я уже
лет с 10-и играю музыку наверное лучших оркестров страны. Где-то в это время я
впервые услышал гитару, семиструнную. На ней играл мой дядя.Он и стал кое-
чему меня учить, "с рук". Не знаю почему, но меня почему-то захватало звучание
инструмента! Его тембр, внутренние возможности. С этого момента я
"проглатывал" буквально все, что было связано с гитарным реппертуаром! Я
учился по записям, у отдельных исполнителей из Москвы(Петр Панин,Владимир
Славский и др.) Годам к 18-ти я уже играл сольные концерты, знал весь
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классический реппертуар, сам писал музыку, играл в ансамблях (был
муз.руководителем разных групп).
2. Вы занимались в классе у Марии Луизы Анидо или вы просто слушали и наблюдали
за ее исполнительским стилем?
• С Анидо я познакомился в Москве.Она приезжала на гастроли, играла в Большом
зале консерватории. Мне тогда было 25лет и у меня была сильная концертная
программа (Вторая венгерская рапсодия Ф.Листа, Танец с саблями Хачатуряна,
Ми-бемоль минорная прелюдия и фуга из Х.Т.К, Полет шмеля Римского-
Корсакова, Липа вековая и много чего еще). В Славский устроил встречу (у себя
дома) и решил показать "русское чудо", т.е.меня.Вот мол как у нас играют! С
Анидо я общался долго. Я выспросил для себя все, что хотел. Она подправила у
меня звукоизвлечение. Она сильно восторгалась моей индивидуальностью и
сказала, что они так играть не умеют (Кстати слово в слово мне это сказал Пако де
Лусия,я ему играл а Калуге). Есть фото с этой встречи,там мы с Анидо за столом.
3. В каком возрасте вы начали играть на гитаре?
• Когда начал играть уже сказал: лет с 10и.
4. Что вас привлекло именно в гитаре, а не в других инструментах, на которых вы
играли? Что привело вас к началу занятий игры на гитаре?
• Почему гитара? Не знаю.Как не возможно обьяснить любовь мужчины к женщине.
5. Вы до сих пор преподаете в Тульском Музыкальном Училище?
• Педагогической деятельностью уже давно не занимаюсь (отдал этому лет15). В
девяностые занимался бизнесом, джазом,карате и всем чем придется. Много
работал над созданием собственного реппертуара. В это время было много
41
приглашений, работал в Испании, Израиле,у многих российских "звезд" эстрады.
После выступления в Кольмаре (Со Спиваковым,Франция) меня "пропечатали" в
газетах как "Национальное достояние".
6. Вы знаете, кто был композитором «Песни странника»? Или эта песня
действительно была написана сибирскими ссыльными?
• Насчет "Выхожу один я на дорогу". В России много песен стали народными
несмотря на то, что со временем находились авторы слов, реже-музыки. Так и с
этой песней на стихи М. Лермотова. Чья музыка точно не известно. Это чисто
городская традиция, где сплелись развитая мелодия и гармония.Мне очень
нравится эта песня. И я долго не находил решения ее гитарными возможностями.
Потом все же нашел. Должен сказать, что это общее правило для меня. Именно
решение! Характер на первом месте. По этой причине я не пишу случайные
вариации на народные темы,их у меня просто не может быть. Это другой, и мне
малоинтересный жанр. Все должно быть подчинено внутреннему содержанию
пьесы. Это мало кому удается, за этим стоит огромная работа и опыт. Собственно
за это меня и любят.
7. Кто автор песни «Липа вековая»?
• Липа вековая-тот же случай. Автор не известен. Были попытки ее кому-то
приписать, но все не подтверждено. Везде (у той же Руслановой) она обьявляется,
как русская народная. Это типичная городская лирическая песня. Никакой
Паницкий к ней отношения не имеет. Аранжировка была мною сделана в 1978
году. Были попытки выкупить у меня оригинал рукописи. Забавно.Впрочем
42
музыкальной общественностью отнесена к лучшим гитарным шедеврам 20-го
века!
8. Кто автор «Плясовой» и «Хоровода» из третьего тома «Русской коллекции»?
• Хоровод-авторская музыка,стилизация.
9. Песня «Ой да ты, калинушка» была написана Иваном Паницким?
• Ой да ты калинушка-традиционная городская лирическая песня, древняя.Чисто
народная, о том как забирали на службу (в рекруты) молодых ребят на 25 лет.
Песня женская об утраченной навеке любви о горькой доле.
10. У вас в планах нет публикации на английском языке вашей книги «Русский стиль
игры на классической гитаре»?
• По поводу издания. У меня были предложения (напр.в Германии).Но я сознательно
все издавал в России, что бы мои работы имели распространение здесь. Сегодня их
знают все, они включены в программы всех учебных заведений страны, их играют
на конкурсах и с концертной сцены. Я уже подумываю о том,что пора уже издавать
зарубежом. Помимо "Русского стиля" огромным успехом пользуется двухтомник
лучших аранжировок на песни и пляски. Это дорогой подарочный вариант. Там
песни и пляски разбиты по традициям, есть слова,работал художник над
илстрациями. Так же вышла книжка "Сократить время", автобиографичная. Она о
моих методах занятий, как избежать проф.болезней, главная философия. Обе
работы вышли в издательстве ООО "Альпина Паблишер". Москва www.alpina.ru.
Есть Сюита на сказки А.С. Пушкина. Издана давно (2002г.) в Италии VP MUSIK
MEDIA di Vincento Pocci.
43
11. Какими нотами вы изначально пользовались (для голоса или фортепиано?) когда
работали над вашими аранжировками песен?
12. Посоветуйте, пожалуйста, где мне найти эти ноты, чтобы сравнить с ними
ваши обработки? Это позволило бы мне лучше понять ваш стиль и написать
более полно о вашем подходе к обработкам народных песен.
• Привет! Я сейчас еду из Вашингтона в Нью-Йорк. Нахожусь у женой у дочери
(Lana Rudneva). Есть время ответить. Я один из тех, кто жил в среде, в которой
почти все эти песни пели. Они представлены в "живом виде" на слух. Конечно я
сверял некоторые из них с печатными нотами со словами, там одноголосные
мелодии без гармонии. Таких изданий в бывшем СССР было много. Но все они
меня мало устраивали. Живые песни всегда имели небольшие различия. Это
зависело от регионов проживания людей, их миграций, укладов жизни. Поэтому
"правильной" мелодии не существует. Мой подход-это живые картины, по
возможности точный характер, ничего случайного. Эти принципы и выделили меня
среди прочих. Сам я всегда не до конца доволен сделанным, поэтому есть разные
версии отдельных композиций. Напр. "Ах ты,ноченька", "Как у наших у ворот",
"Куманек" и др. Сейчас напр.я пишу "Я по садику гуляла" в стиле фолк. Просто
захотелось наслушавшись музыки Кантри. Но это скорее исключение. Просто
нравится стиль,который я отдельно изучал.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kulikova, Irina. Liner Notes, Reminiscences of Russia, Guitar Music by Russian Composers. Naxos 8.573308, 2014.
Ophee, Matanya. The Russian Collection Volume III. Columbus, OH: Editions Orphée, INC. 1994. Print.
Folkard, Richard. Plant Lore, Legends, and Lyrics: Embracing the Myths, Traditions, Superstitions, and Folk-Lore of the Plant Kingdom. London: S. Low, Marston, Searle, and Rivington, 1884. Print.
Ophee, Matanya. The Russian Collection Volume III. Columbus, OH: Editions Orphée, INC. 1994. Print.
L'vov, Nikolaj A, Ivan Prač , Malcolm H. Brown, and Margarita Mazo. A Collection of Russian Folk Songs by Nikolai Lvov and Ivan Prach. Ann Arbor u.a: U.M.I. Research Pr, 1987. Print.
Barber, E J. W. The Dancing Goddesses: Folklore, Archaeology, and the Origins of European Dance., 2014.
Editions Orphee Catalog. http://www.editionsorphee.com/catalog.html#russian. Web. Accessed 1/9/2017.
Guitar Foundation of America. http://www.guitarfoundation.org/?HoFOphee. Web. Accessed 1/8/2017.
Editions Orphee. https://www.editionsorphee.com/ophee.htm. Web. Accessed 1/8/2017. A-Pesni. http://a-pesni.org/popular20/podikim.php. Web. Accessed 1/28/17.
Russian Sources. http://www.russianresources.lt/archive/Kondr/Kondr_0.html. Web. Accessed 1/28/17.
Wild Steppes of Transbaikalia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sddh5QAXJbQ. Web. Accessed 2/9/2017.
Guitar and Lute Issues. http://www.guitarandluteissues.com/Lipa/lipa.htm. Web. Accessed 1/29/17.
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John W. Duarte. "Mikulka, Vladimír." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 9 Feb.2017.
Bach Cantatas Website. http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Mikulka-Vladimir.htm. Web. Accessed 2/9/2017.
Martin Kiszko. "Balalaika." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 16 Jan. 2017.
John W. Duarte. "Anido, María Luisa." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 5 Jan. 2017.
Bookree. http://bookree.org/reader?file=652306&pg=0. Web. Accessed 1/31/2017.
A-Pesni. http://a-pesni.org/popular20/lipa.php. Web. Accessed 2/11/2017.
Geoffrey Norris. "Pratsch, Johann Gottfried." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 15 Feb.2017.
Oxford Music Online.
A-Pesni. http://a-pesni.org/bezzem/ojdatykalin.php. Web. Accessed 2/11/2017.
Russiapedia. http://russiapedia.rt.com/of-russian-origin/seni/. Web. Accessed 2/13/2017.
Do It House. http://doit.house/russian-log-house.shtml. Web. Accessed 2/13/2017.
A-Pesni. http://a-pesni.org/rus/ahvyseni.htm. Web. Accessed 2/11/2017.
Proud of Ukraine. http://proudofukraine.com/floral-symbols-of-ukraine-flowers-and-trees/. Web. Accessed 2/16/2017.
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The Snowball Tree. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvBx0KoWGGU. Web. Accessed 2/16/2017.
Russian folk song "Oi, da ti kalinushka". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQKG6FRlWKM. Web. Accessed 2/16/2017.
Barber, E J. W. The Dancing Goddesses: Folklore, Archaeology, and the Origins of European Dance., 2014.
Tree Pictures Online. http://treepicturesonline.com/linden_tree_pictures.html. Web. Accessed 3/6/2017.
Trees Planet. http://treesplanet.blogspot.com/2015/08/viburnum-opulus-guelder- rose.html#.WL2X4jsrKUl. Web. Accessed 3/6/2017.
47
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
Morgan Stuart
Morgan Stuart, a native of Jacksonville, Florida, began his musical training at the age of four on the piano, and moved to the classical guitar at thirteen. He graduated from Douglas
Anderson School of the Arts and, following graduation, went to study guitar with one of the top guitarists in the world, Dr. Stephen Robinson at Stetson University. While at Stetson, Morgan was a member of the Stetson Guitar Ensemble, Stetson Choral Union, and performed as a soloist for afternoon recitals. Morgan received his Bachelor’s in Music Performance in 2009. Morgan was accepted to the Florida State University College of Music where he received his Master's degree in 2012. In 2012 Morgan began his Doctorate in Music under Bruce Holzman at Florida
State University, and was awarded with an assistantship upon entering the program. While at
Florida State University, Morgan won a competition that resulted in a trip to Costa Rica with his guitar quartet. The trip included solo and ensemble performances around the country, cultural exchange, and the opportunity to teach master classes. The trip concluded with a final performance at the Teatro Eugene O’Neill in San José. Morgan currently holds a position as adjunct guitar professor at Gulf Coast State College and Chipola College in Florida. Morgan is scheduled to receive his Doctorate in Music at Florida State University in the summer of 2017.
48